At long last, NBA basketball is finally back…well, more or less. The Bucks wrapped up their first week of preseason action Saturday night with a decisive 88-74 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Kohl Center. This was following a hard fought 93-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on October 3rd.
The Bucks lay claim to one of the more promising young cores in the league with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, and Michael Carter-Williams at the helm, not to mention dominant center Greg Monroe and seven-foot rookie phenom Thon Maker. These young talents have a big hole to fill this year with up-and-coming star Khris Middleton out up to six months with a torn hamstring.
Needless to say, the young guns showed up big time, lead by Jabari Parker’s 13 points against Chicago and 21 against Dallas. Monroe, a consistent scoring threat, shot the ball efficiently with a field goal percentage of 50% over the two game stretch. In addition to notable individual performances, the Bucks as a team shared the scoring load well, with five bench players with double digit point totals against Chicago, and 13 out of 15 players recording a basket against Dallas.
Perhaps the most exciting storyline from the week was the debut of Thon Maker, who entered his first preseason game as a Buck Saturday night after being selected tenth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Maker, who measures at a towering 7’1″, recorded nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field, four rebounds, and a block in 21 minutes of action. Maker, who boasts a 7’3″ wingspan, adds to an already incredibly long Bucks roster with Antetokounmpo, John Henson, Miles Plumlee, and Greg Monroe all showcasing 7+ foot wingspans.
Parker summed up his feelings following a victory in Madison and the week as a whole per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“We just played real well as a team,” Parker said. “I really liked the fans, feeling the state pride in our capital really showing up. To bring home a win is really good for them and we had our training camp here so it’s just closure for our whole trip.”
While the preseason may not have any serious implications on the regular season, it is a chance to see how a team jells after undergoing a serious change, in the Bucks’ case, the loss of Middleton and rookies trying to find their role. For fans who wish to see a team searching for a new identity without the pressure of a regular season schedule, the preseason can be surprisingly fulfilling.
Photo courtesy of hoopvideos.net.